Assembly bracket and mounting system for aeration element

ABSTRACT

An aeration element for gasification or aeration of liquids includes an essentially flattened, rigid support element having a substantially oval cross-section and corrugated outer surfaces, the corrugated outer surfaces including ridges defining grooves therebetween; a threaded opening for receiving a cooperating fitting for connection to an air supply; and a flexible membrane of elastomeric material disposed around the support element. An assembly bracket includes upper and portions that can be cooperatingly attached to one another about the aeration element for securing the aeration element to a floor of a tank or pool. The assembly bracket includes through-going passages for enabling water to circulate around the bracket and reduce buoyancy of the assembly. Two aeration elements of shorter lengths can be positioned adjacent two one another, secured within assembly brackets, and connected at adjacent ends, so that one of the aeration elements functions as a conduit to the other aeration element when air is supplied into one of the aeration elements.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S.application Ser. No. 13/843,625, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, title “AerationElement for the Gasification of Liquids”.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an aeration element that is utilized inan aeration element for the gasification of liquids, especially for theaeration of water, as well as to a mounting assembly bracket for theaeration element.

Such apparatus are used, for example, in clarification plants/wastewater-processing aerobic digestion tanks. A plurality of aerationelements are disposed on a distribution conduit, whereby thedistribution conduit on the one hand serves for the supply of air or gasto the aeration elements, and on the other hand also serves for thesecurement of the aeration elements. A plurality of distributionconduits can in turn be combined to form a system.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,421 to Messner describes a diffusion device thatuses a flexible membrane on a rigid, plate-like aeration supportelement. Due to the structure of the rigid plate that serves as asubstrate for the flexible membrane, when the aerating gas bubbles arereleased through openings provided in the membrane, or when the flow ofaerating gas is stopped, the membrane can crease or wrinkle at specificpoints along the supporting plate, thus causing fatigue and wear atthese points and reduced longevity of the aeration element. Further,Messner requires

An elongated aeration element is disclosed in DE 33 19 161A1. Inaddition, DE 36 00 234 discloses an apparatus for the aeration of water,according to which individual aeration elements are connected with thedistribution conduit via fittings that during assembly are pressed intoa bore in the distribution conduit accompanied by elastic deformation,thereby forming a positive connection. However, the aeration elementsare plate-shaped elements. Such a connection is not suitable forelongated aeration elements, which can have an aeration length of up toand greater than one meter. When the apparatus moves or if there areflows in the liquid that is to be aerated, the long aeration elementsact like lever arms, so that the forces that occur at the connectionlocations are much greater than is the case with plate-shaped aerationelements.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,421 (U.S. '421) by the same inventor describes anapparatus for gasification of liquids, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference. U.S. '421 describes a device in whichcompressed gas is introduced into a tubular aeration element made up ofrigid support tube with a lengthwise, rounded groove and a flexiblemembrane disposed around the tube. The gas escapes via slits in themembrane. A specialized fitting is provided for attaching the aerationelement to a distribution conduit. The tubular aeration element,however, is limited in its aerating efficiency, due to the limited crosssectional area provided for releasing the aerating gas and bubbles intothe surrounding volume of liquid.

None of the above art provides an elongated, flattened aeration elementwith an oval cross section and increased surface area efficiency, whichis specifically designed to allow a flexible, inflatable membrane placedaround a support member to expand and collapse during operation withoutfatigue, wear, and a shortened longevity of the aeration elementcomponents.

Further, none of the above cited art provides a means for preventingsludge or other particles from entering the interior of the aerationelement during use, which can impair or completely inhibit functioning.This can occur if there is a breach of the membrane by an externalimpact of a sharp object or debris in the surrounding liquid. A backflowof particles or sludge is inhibited by the fine slits of the perforatedmembrane, acting as check valves in a deflated state of the membrane.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a moreefficient aeration element that has a greater cross sectional areaavailable, that offers greater longevity and resilience, and which iscapable of being mounted in new or existing aeration systems in avariety of configurations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is realized with a flattened,elongated aeration element having support member with a substantiallyoval cross-section, an elastomeric and flexible tubular membrane havingair slits provided only on a top surface of the aeration element whenthe membrane is placed around the aeration element, and an air inletwith a threaded connection to connection the aeration element to adistribution conduit that serves for the supply of gas or air.

The support member of the aeration element is made up of a rigid, hardplastic material having a corrugated, hollow profiled and withcorrugated outer surfaces, such that a plurality of grooves are formedbetween the ridges of the corrugated surfaces, both on the inner andouter surfaces of the support member.

The aeration element is provided with a clamp for retaining in place themembrane and further, the support includes a machine bead to prevent theclamp from slipping and to maintain the membrane under an axial,lengthwise tension, thereby preventing the membrane from slipping offthe support member during use.

The aeration element can be provided with a check valve in the form ofan opening in the upper surface of support member which works incooperating with a flexible, elastomeric membrane or flap to perform aback flow or check valve function that presents sludge and othermaterials, in the event the membrane was accidentally breached, or cutby an hard object floating in the sludge or during assembly of thesystem or operators servicing the system. However, liquid fromcondensation, or backflow through the membrane is prevented fromentering into the air supply system when the air is shut off during aintermitted cycle for de-nitrification and/or an anaerobic phase of theoperating batch cycle of the biological processes sequence.

The aeration element further is provided with a mounting or supportbracket for supporting or fixing in position the end(s) of the elongatedaeration element when in use in an aeration system in a clarificationtank or pool/pond, for example, by securing the mounting or supportbracket to a floor or other surface of the tank or pool.

Pursuant to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention,aeration elements are respectively disposed in pairs on oppositelocations on the distribution conduit, whereby in a givencross-sectional plane, the distribution conduit is provided at twooppositely disposed locations with bores through which a single boltpasses that connects the two aeration elements with one another. In thisway, the support of the bolt relative to the wall of the distributionconduit is effected by the respective other aeration element. Theaeration elements thus reciprocally support one another, and theapparatus can make do with a minimum number of parts.

It is also contemplated that the two head pieces of the aerationelements are pressed into the extruded profiled secured with a rubberliner or friction gasket, rather than using screws or bolts to securethe assembly. The head piece's conical section, or wedge, protrudes intoa friction gasket, whose inside contour is funnel-shaped. By pressing inthe wedge-shaped section of the head piece, the friction gasket expandsoutwards against the inner contour of the hollow corrugated hard plasticextrusion, forms a seal and fastens the head pieces securely into thecorrugated extrusion pieces. The high friction (coefficient) and theexpansion of the rubber gasket/friction assembly mount prevent theassembly from coming apart again.

The head piece and corrugated profile can also alternatively be fusedtogether by gluing, welding, friction welding and over-molding.

The aeration elements also can be secured in place by means of anassembly bracket having cooperating upper and lower profiled portionsthat can be secured around the aeration element. The assembly bracket isin turn secured to the floor by either an anchor bolt in the centerbottom hole directly into the tank floor or by two height-adjustableanchors through the two outer holes to enable leveling of the diffuserto bottom of the tank for maintaining the position of an aerationelement. It is contemplated that a plurality of brackets can be utilizedalong the length of the aeration element, rather than only on its ends.

In a further embodiment, in view of transport and assemblyconsiderations, aeration elements having shorter lengths arecontemplated. Two of these shorter aeration elements can be connected attheir adjacent ends, when the aeration elements are placed adjacent oneanother, a connection line, such that one aeration element function asan air conduit to one or more aeration elements. With thisconfiguration, buoyancy of the aeration elements is reduced. Shorterlength modules of aeration elements can more easily be transported,handled and installed.

Further specific features of the invention will be described in detailsubsequently.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This object, and other objects and advantages of the present invention,will appear more clearly from the following specification in conjunctionwith the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the inventive aeration element;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the aeration element with a cutaway of theouter membrane;

FIG. 3 is a lengthwise cross-section of the aeration element of FIG. 1with the flexible membrane disposed around it in an inflated state;

FIG. 3A is a lengthwise cross-section of the aeration element of FIG. 1with the flexible membrane disposed around it in a deflated state;

FIG. 4 is an top view of aeration element showing the retaining clampand check valve with flexible band in place;

FIG. 5 is a view of the connecting end of the aeration element with theflexible membrane in a cutaway view to expose the check valve band andcorrugated surface of the aeration element of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a further view of the connecting end of the aerationelement with the check valve band/flap cut away to expose the checkvalve opening;

FIG. 6A shows a further view of the connecting end of the aerationelement with the check valve band/flap completed removed.

FIG. 7 is a further view of the connecting end of the aeration elementwith the check valve band/flap and outer membrane shown cut away toexpose the air supply hole connected with the threaded air portconnection;

FIGS. 8 and 8A are detail views of the bead and grip ridges formed onthe support member to prevent slippage of the clamp and membrane;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of two inventive aeration elements connected onopposite sides of a distribution conduit;

FIGS. 9A-9D are cross sectional and top views of the two aerationelements of FIG. 9 showing their connection and positioning relative tothe distribution conduit, as well as an arrangement of a plurality ofsuch pairs of aeration elements along a common distribution conduit;

FIGS. 10-10B are plan views illustrating various embodiments forarranging a plurality of inventive aeration elements relative to adistribution conduit or other air supply device;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of an inventive aeration element positioned in amounting assembly;

FIGS. 11A-11C are side, top, and cross sectional view, respectively, ofthe mounting assembly of FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is a further cross sectional view of the mounting assembly ofFIG. 11;

FIGS. 12A-12B are plan view of the mounting assembly of FIG. 11 andshowing the threaded hose coupling and flexible hose connected thereto;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a further embodiment of a mounting bracketassembly;

FIGS. 13A-13C shows further details of the mounting bracket assembly ofFIG. 13;

FIGS. 14A and 14B show plan views of the mounting bracket assembly witha threaded hose coupling;

FIGS. 15A and 15B show perspective views of an assembly bracketaccording to a further embodiment;

FIGS. 16 and 16A show perspective views of the assembly bracketaccording to FIGS. 15 and 15A positioned for mounting an aerationelement to a support surface;

FIGS. 16B and 16C show perspective views of a plurality of assemblybrackets assemblies arranged on the length of two forms of aerationelements and attached to the support surface;

FIGS. 17-17B show top, side, and end views, respectively, of themounting bracket assembly of FIGS. 15 and 15A secured to the supportsurface;

FIGS. 18-18B show plan views of a further configuration of the aerationdevices having shorter lengths and connected at adjacent ends;

FIG. 19 shows a plan view of the opposite end of the adjacently arrangedaeration elements of FIGS. 18A-18C;

FIGS. 20-20A show a further embodiment of a rounded aeration elementsecured within a series assembly brackets;

FIG. 21 shows a plan view of a series of diffusers that are connectableto a main air supply and which are connected to one another along thecentral axis of the diffusers;

FIGS. 22-22A show a plan view and an end view, respectively, of anassembly bracket with a central bore and cooperating bolt.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in detail, in particular FIGS. 1 and 2,the elongated, flattened diffuser aeration element 1 of the presentinvention has an essentially flattened, rigid support element 2 with anessentially oval cross-section. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the supportelement 2 with the oval cross-section has a hard, rigid corrugatedhollow profile 11, such that opposite surfaces 3, 4 (upper and lowersurfaces, respectively as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) of the support elementprovided corrugated surfaces with raised portions or ridges 20 andchannels or grooves 21 disposed therebetween.

A sleeve 5, or flexible membrane, is disposed about the support element2 and secured around at least one end of the support element 2 by aclamp 6 made of stainless steel or another material, which is positionedto hold the sleeve 5 in place in an airtight manner against the supportelement 2. The sleeve 5 includes perforations in the form of slits 7which are positioned only on the upper surface 3 of the support element2 when the sleeve 5 is in place around the support element 5. The sleeve5 preferably is made of a material such as EPDM, silicone, polyurethane,polymeric thermoset, and thermoplastic elastomers.

The aeration element 1 further includes a threaded air port connection 8for attachment to an air supply with a cooperating fitting, such as anair distribution conduit, as will be described below. Radial ribs 9extend outwardly from the connection 9 to define opening channels andstructural support for the open end of the support element 2. As shownin FIG. 7, the threaded air port connection 8 is connected to an airsupply hole 10 in the support element 2, through which air supplied intothe aeration element 1 flows into the support element 2. As shown inFIGS. 3 and 3A, the air supply flows between the corrugated profile 11and the sleeve 5, causing the sleeve 5 to inflate; the air is releasedfrom the sleeve 5 into the surrounding liquid via the slits 7 formed inthe sleeve 5 on the top or upper surface of the support element 2.

FIG. 3A shows the sleeve 5 in a deflated or collapsed state, in whichthe sleeve 5 falls onto the corrugated profile 11; this allows for acontrolled radius or folding of the sleeve 5. Further, the ridges 20 andgrooves 21 prevent the sleeve 5 from forming creases in thede-pressurized state thereby extending the life expectancy of the unit.During operation, the center or interior of the support element 2 isfilled with water and/or sludge when the aeration element 1 issubmerged.

It is further contemplated that the one end of a first diffuser can beclosed off with an optional threaded port to supply a second diffuserwith air, using the first diffuser as an air conduit. The diffuser isstill fully buoyant. In other words, the second diffuser need not beconnected with the main air supply, but only to the first diffuser.

The inventive structure of the aeration element 1 provides for a reducedbuoyancy of the aeration element in this submerged state. When thesleeve 5 is inflated, it expands to a cylindrical form such thatcorrugated profile (i.e., the ridges 20 and grooves 21) may not beevident. It has been found, surprisingly, that the invention works bestwhen the inside circumference of sleeve 5 is equal to the outsidecircumference of the surface of support element 2, whether the sleeve 5is in its inflated or non-inflated state.

As shown in FIG. 4, the support element 2 includes profiled transitionsor stepping 14 such that the inner diameter circumference of the sleeve5 is equivalent to the outer diameter circumference of the corrugatedprofile 11 of the support element 2.

FIG. 5 shows the aeration element 1 with the outer sleeve 5 cut away toreveal the support element 2 and its corrugated profile 11. The aerationelement 1, in a preferred embodiment, includes a check or backflow valveassembly 15. The check valve assembly 15 includes an opening 16 andflexible, elastomeric band 17 positioned around the support element 2 tocover the opening 16 during operation of the aeration element 1. Theband 17 preferably includes cut-out portions to assist in distributionair flow into the interior of the support element 2. The band or flap 17is positioned to cover the opening 16 to prevent the debris fromentering the interior of the aeration element 1 and impairing itsoperation, if a backflow of sludge or other debris should occur when themembrane sleeve 5 is breached or cut by external impact of debrisfloating in the sludge, or when the sleeve 5 is damaged externallyduring installation or servicing of the aeration system. To accommodatethe band 17 and retain a uniform outer circumference of the supportelement 2, a portion of the material of the support 2 is removed fromthe support element 2 to form a recessed area 18 for the band 17, as canbe seen from FIGS. 6 and 6A.

FIGS. 6 and 6A show further details of the check or backflow valveassembly 16. In FIG. 6, the band 17 is shown partially cut away toexpose the opening 16, while FIG. 6A shows the band 17 completelyremoved.

FIG. 8 shows a detail of the clamp 6, which is made of stainless steelor another material, and which is positioned near the ends of theaeration element 1 to hold the sleeve 5 in place. Preferably, thesupport element 2 is provided with a bead 22 that cooperates with arecess 26 on the clamp 6 to prevent the clamp 6 from slipping and tokeep the sleeve 5 under an axial and longitudinal tension, therebypreventing the sleeve 5 from slipping off the support element 2.Further, the support element 2 can be provided with grips or grooves 23to improve the air seal function of the clamp 6, which furthercompresses the sleeve 5 onto the support element 2 (see also FIG. 8A).

FIG. 9 shows two aeration elements 1 connected via the thread air portconnection 8 to an air supply, shown here as distribution conduit 27.The air port connection 8 is configured to cooperate with a fitting toform a sealed connection to the distribution conduit 27, for example, afitting like that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,421 to the sameinventor, the subject matter of this patent being incorporated herein byreference. The aeration elements 1 extend perpendicular to thedistribution conduit 27. The distribution conduit 27 can be equippedwith a plurality of such pairs of aeration elements 1. The supportelement 2 is open at its ends, so that the water or other liquid thatsurround the aeration element has access to the interior of the supportelement 2. Sleeve 5, as discussed above is an elastic material,especially rubber or a rubber-like polymeric material that stretchesaround the surface of the flattened support element 2. When sleeve 5 isnot inflated, hence when aeration is not occurring, sleeve 5 deforms tothe curvatures of the surface of the flattened support element 2, butthe corrugated, outside surface of support element 2 prevents creaseformation in sleeve 5.

As a consequence of the above manner of construction, during operationonly a small portion of the support element 2 is filled with air, andthe buoyancy of the aeration element is therefore low, which is ofparticular advantage for very long aeration elements 1. The length ofthe aeration element 1 can be varied according to the application, thatis, the size and volume of the area being aerated. With very longaeration elements, mounting assemblies may be utilized to fix theaeration elements to a bottom surface of the tank, pool, or othercontainer to prevent vertical and lateral movement or buckling of theaeration elements 2 in the liquid.

As noted above, and as shown in FIG. 21, one end of a first aerationelement can be closed off with an optional threaded port to supply asecond diffuser with air, using the first diffuser as an air conduit.The aeration elements can then be connected in series as shown in FIG.21.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate two aeration elements 2 connected to adistribution conduit 27 in cross sectional view, while FIG. 9C shows atop view of the aeration element 2 connected to the distribution conduit27. As can be seen in FIGS. 9 and 9C, the slits 7 are evenly distributedover the entire top surface 3 of the sleeve 5, although the figures showslits 7 positioned only on a portion of the top surface 3 of the sleeve5. Air fed into the air port connection 8 can flow through the airsupply hole 10 and escapes through the slits 7 as fine bubbles into thesurrounding water or liquid.

FIG. 9D shows a plurality of aeration elements 1 connected in the pairedrelationship of FIG. 9 along a common distribution channel 27. Theaeration elements 1 can be spaced from one another, as shown in FIG. 9D,or arranged to be adjacent to one anther, as shown for example in FIG.10.

Preferably, the connection of the aeration element 1 to an airdistribution conduit 27 or other air supply or manifold is affected byconnecting a cooperating, threaded fitting to form a sealed connectionbetween the air port connection 8 and the air distribution manner by afitting arrangement shown by way of example in FIGS. 9A through 9C.

FIGS. 10 through 10D show a variety of contemplated configurations forarranging a plurality of the aeration elements 1 depending on the volumeof liquid to be aerated and the other parameters of the specificapplication. As shown in FIG. 10, the aeration elements 1 can bearranged side to side on a base frame 41 or support structure andsupplied with air via a common conduit 42 that in turn, is supplied withair via a supply tube, pipe or hose.

FIG. 10A shows another, possible configuration of the aeration elements1, again, arranged side-by-side but connected to a distribution conduit27 as shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 10B shows a further configuration for the aeration elements 1, inwhich the elements 1 are arranged in a spaced relation on a framework ortracks 43, and with each aeration element having an individual airsupply 44.

Due to the elongated nature of the aeration element 1 and in particular,when the application requires extremely long aeration elements 1, amounting assembly may be provided to secure the aeration element(s) to abottom surface of the container, pool, pond, etc. containing the waterto be aerated. As noted above, the mounting device or bracket preventsvertical or lateral movement of the aeration element(s) 1 during use.

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of a mounting assembly 50 for securing theaeration element 1 to the floor or bottom of the container or body ofwater to be aerated. The mounting assembly 50 includes flanges 51, 52and respective cooperating bolts 53, 54 that received in a cooperatinggroove of a profiled bar 55. The aeration element 1 is positioned andclamped between the flanges 51, 52, and the profiled bar 55, in turn isattached via a pin or bolt 56 to the bottom surface 60 or floor of thecontainer/body of water to be aerated.

FIG. 11A shows a side view of the mounting assembly 50, profiled bar 55,and securing bolt and nut assembly 56. FIG. 11B shows a top view of themounting assembly 50 and aeration element 50, and FIG. 11C shows a crosssectional view mounting assembly 50 in place to hold the aerationelement 1 in position as described above. Again, depending on the lengthof the aeration element(s) 1 and/or depth at which the aeration elements1 are position, according to the specific application, one or more ofsuch mounting assemblies 50 may be utilized to stabilize and secure theaeration elements 1.

FIGS. 12, 12A and 12B show the mounting bracket assembly of FIG. 11. Inthis embodiment, a first type of coupling for connecting the aeratorelement 1 to an air supply is shown by way of example. A threadedadapter or coupling 61 for connecting any type of material hose using aband clamp is utilized in a commonly known manner, with the coupling 61being received in the air port connection 8. FIGS. 13, 13A, 13B, and 13Cshow an embodiment of an adjustable mounting bracket 66 for securing oneor both ends of the aeration element to the bottom or floor 60 of thetank containing the liquid to be aerated. The adjustable mountingbracket 66 can be cemented and secured by bolts 68 onto a concretefloor, for example. The bracket 66 includes a recess for accommodating afurther bolt 69 that enables the height/position of the bracket 66 to beadjustable in order to level the aerator element 1. FIG. 13A shows athreaded hose coupling 62 as a second type of coupling that can be usedto connect the aerator element 1 to an air supply, along with a flexiblehose 64 that is connected to a cooperating threaded coupling received inthe air port connection 9. FIG. 13B shows the end of the aerationelement 1 (opposite the end of the aeration element 1 to which the hose64 is connectable), likewise secured by the mounting bracket 66 to abottom or floor 60 of the tank.

FIG. 13C shows a side view of the aeration element 1 with mountingbrackets 66 securing it to the floor 60 at opposite ends and with athreaded hose coupling 62 and flexible hose 64 attached.

FIGS. 14 through 14B show the adjustable mounting bracket 66 againsecuring opposite ends of the aeration element 1 to the floor or bottom60 of a tank, but illustrates also the threaded adapter or connection 61provided to receive a threaded hose coupling 62 and flexible hose 64 forsupply air to the device.

The above-described features of the inventive aeration element 1 providefor an improved and stable distribution of air bubbles to the liquid tobe aerated at a low air flow rate, thus enhancing energy efficiency.

Further, the inventive structure of the aeration element as anessentially flattened element with an oval cross section provides agreater surface area efficiency than known aeration devices thatutilized round or tubular aeration elements, as discussed above.Further, the inventive corrugated profile of the support element inconjunction with the flexible sleeve provides increased longevity of thesleeve, preventing folds and creases in the sleeve that lead to fatigueand/or tearing of the elastomeric sleeve material, which can causeoperating failure and damage to the aerating assembly.

FIGS. 15A and 15B show a preferred embodiment of an assembly bracket 70for securing the aeration element 1 to a support surface, such as thefloor or bottom of a pool or tank. The assembly bracket 70 includes anupper profiled portion 72 and a lower profiled portion 74. The lowerprofiled portion 74 is an injection molded or machined part, preferablymade of Polypropylene [PP], Polyamide PA, PVC or other hardthermoplastics, which includes a base portion 77, having a generallyU-shaped, cut-out section 73 for accommodating an aeration elementpositioned therein. The lower profiled portion 74 of the assemblybracket 70 is formed to include through-going cut-out portions orpassages 76 that extend through the cross sectional width of theassembly bracket 70 to facilitate water circulation when the bracketsare in place on the floor or bottom of the tank or pool. The lowerprofiled portion 74 has lateral connecting flanges 78 positioned at theupper ends or legs of the U-shaped cut-out section 73, which are formedto cooperate with corresponding connecting flanges 80 provided on theupper profiled portion 72. Each of the upper profiled portion 72 andlower profiled portion 74 includes a respective shoulder 91, 81,respectively, which provide the only contact area for the diffuserelement 1 when the assembly bracket 70 is in place.

The upper profiled portion 72 of the assembly bracket 70 includes anelongated, generally arched portion 95 extending between the connectingflanges 80. When the upper profiled portion 72 and the lower profiledportion 74 are secured together, the arched portion 95 extends over andabove (but does not contact) a top surface 112 of the aeration elementpositioned within the assembly bracket 70, while the U-shaped portion ofthe lower profiled portion 74 extends below (but does not contact) thebottom surface 110 of the aeration element.

The aeration element only contacts the shoulder areas 81, 91 of theupper profiled portion 72 and lower profiled portion 74, respectively,as described above. The membrane purposely shall not make contact inother areas to prevent rubbing, pinching of the membrane sleeve, thusprolonging its useful life. The positioning of the assembly bracket 70about the aeration element 1 in the manner described provides for aloose fit so membrane can flow around the shoulder area in thedepressurized state.

The upper profiled portion 72 is formed to correspondingly fit onto tothe lower profiled portion 74 at the respective connecting flanges 80,78. More specifically, the upper profiled portion 72 of the assemblybracket 70 connects to the lower profiled portion 74 of the assemblybracket 70 by means of a snap-in, cooperating recess 150 and undercut151, best shown in FIG. 15B.

As best shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, the lower profiled portion 74further includes attachment portions 86, 88 for receiving fixing rods 90therefore and for securing the assembly bracket 70 to the floor orbottom of the pool or tank. FIGS. 16A and 16B further show the assemblybracket 70 secured around an aeration element for holding the aerationelement 1 in place during use in a tank or pool. The bracket can beadjusted to different heights in relation to the basin floor if thefloor is not level to assure a level fixation of the aeration element 1and even distribution of air bubbles over the entire length of theaeration element 1.

In the alternative, as best shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B, the lowerprofiled portion 74 may include a centrally located bore or hole 160,through which a bolt 162 extends into the floor or other supportingsurface for the aeration elements.

FIGS. 16C and 16D show how a plurality of assembly brackets 70 can beutilized along the length of an elongated aeration element 1 orplurality of elements 1 to stably secure the aeration element(s) andreduce buoyancy when the aeration elements are positioned for useunderwater, generally at the bottom of a holding tank or pool. Asdescribed above, the aeration element 1 according to the presentinvention can be configured at lengths of up to 4 meters or more toaccommodate applications in larger tanks or pools. As such, acorresponding number of assembly brackets 70 can be positioned along thelength of such an elongated aeration element 1 in order to provide themost effective stability and reduction of buoyancy for the specificapplication.

FIGS. 17A and 17C show a top view and side view, respectively, of anaeration element 1 position in an assembly bracket 70 in place on thefloor or bottom 71 of a tank or pool. FIG. 17B provides an end view ofan assembly bracket 70 positioned about an aeration element 1 andsecured to the floor or bottom 71 of the tank or pool. FIG. 17B mostclearly shows the generally through-going portions or passages 76 thatextend through the lower portion 74, which permit water in the tank tocirculate and flow through and around the assembly bracket 70.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, it is contemplatedthat the above-described aeration element 1 can be configured in shorterlengths, as best shown in FIGS. 18A through 19, to facilitatetransporting, storage and placement of the aeration elements. Sincelarger and/or deeper pools or tanks of water could require veryelongated aeration elements that are unwieldy to install and difficultto transport, it was found that aeration elements 100, 102 ofsubstantially shorter lengths, for example, 1 to 3 meters, can bepositioned adjacently or in series or rows along the center axis of theaeration elements in one or more assembly brackets 70 described above.Adjacent ends 90, 98 of the aeration elements 100, 102 are thenconnected via a suitable connection 92, for example, a hose clampconnection. In a preferred embodiment, each aeration element one to twometers in length for packaging and shipping compactness. Up to twoaeration elements 100, 102 can be connected by a 1″ hose clampconnection, for example, to form a four meter aeration element per eachhose connection to the lateral air supply pipe. A two meter section ofan aeration element requires two assembly bracket connections,preferably spaced 1 meter apart, and clamps anchored directly in thebasin, tank or pool floor 200 with a single bolt, if the basin floor islevel, or can be positioned with two threaded rods per assembly bracketin order to level the aeration elements on an uneven basin floor.

As best shown in FIG. 19, in one exemplary embodiment, a hose clamp 104,preferably a 1″ hose clamp, is connected to a male connection(preferably, 1″ NPT) in order to connect at least one of the twoaeration elements, here 102, to a lateral pipe 110 at an end of theaeration elements 100, 102 that is opposite to the adjacent ends 90, 92of the aeration elements 100, 102. Preferably, schedule 40 to schedule80 PVC lateral pipes (3″ up to 12″ in diameter) also round or squarestainless steel lateral pipes, are used and connected by using a 1″HDPTE pipe and stainless steel crimp hose clamps, although any type ofother suitable hose-type fitting or coupling also is contemplated. Thesame connector hose clamp coupling is used to connect two aerationelements 100, 102 in order to extend the length of the aeration elementfrom a 2 meter length to a 4 meter length per lateral connection.

With this configuration, the first aeration element 100 acts as an airconduit to the second aeration element 102. The reduced length of theaeration elements 100, 102 reduces potential buoyancy by flooding thecenter between the elements 100, 102, and indeed, the configuration ofthe shorter aeration elements connected as described, provides a greatertolerance for the entire assembly for greater buoyancy conditions.

As shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B, the assembly bracket 70 according to thepresent invention also can be used with other shapes and types ofaeration elements, such as the rounded configuration, or pipe-typeelement 400.

As discussed above and as illustrated in FIG. 21, rather thanconfiguring the aeration element 1 has an elongated, single unit, asdescribed above, a plurality of aeration elements 1 can be assembled inseries, using cooperating connection ports (not shown in detail again inFIG. 21) and connecting hoses or tubes 240, to facilitate transport,storage, and placement of the aeration elements 1. The assembly brackets70 can be spaced at regular intervals along the series of aerationelements 1 to provide adequate support and buoyancy for the series.Although not shown in FIG. 21, the aeration element positioned at an endof the series is then connectable to a main air supply, the individualaeration elements serve as a conduit for the air flow to the nextaeration element in the series. This configuration with the series ofaeration elements 1 connected end-to-end, in addition to offering theabove advantages with regard to transport and storage, also offersflexibility in applications of use to more readily accommodatecontainers and tanks of various sizes; when the series of aerationelement are used in conjunction with the assembly brackets 70, as shown,additional benefits with regard to buoyancy and flexibility in the watertank are also gained.

As noted above, as shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B, rather than using the twoattachment portions 88 with cooperating pins/screws 90 shown in FIGS.16A and 16B, a single, central hole or bore 210 can be provided in thelower profiled portion 74 to secure the lower profiled portion 74, aswell as the entire assembly bracket 70, to the floor 60 of the tank orcontainer.

The specification incorporates by reference the disclosure of Germanpriority document DE 101 50 180.3 filed Oct. 12, 2001, U.S. Pat. No.7,497,421, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,673.

The present invention is, of course, in no way restricted to thespecific disclosure of the specification and drawings, but alsoencompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An assembly for gasification of liquids,comprising: at least one aeration element positioned adjacently or inseries to one another, each of said aeration elements comprising anessentially flattened, rigid support element having a substantially ovalcross-section and corrugated outer surfaces, said corrugated outersurfaces including ridges defining grooves therebetween; a threadedopening for receiving a cooperating fitting for a sealed connection toan air supply; a flexible membrane disposed around said support element,said membrane having a plurality of slits disposed therein, and whereincompressed gas is introduced between said support element and saidmembrane and can escape via slits into a liquid that is to be gasified;and at least one retaining clamp for holding said membrane around atleast one end of said support element; at least one assembly bracket forsecuring the first and second aeration elements to a floor or bottom ofa water container or pool, said at least one assembly bracket comprisingan upper profiled portion having lateral flange connection members; alower profiled portion having a base portion, upper flange connectionportions extending from said base portion, and an attachment devicecomprising lateral flange attachment portions disposed laterally on saidbase portion for attaching said assembly bracket to the floor or base ofthe tank or container, wherein said upper flange connection portions areconfigured to correspondingly engage the lateral flange connectionportions of said upper profiled portion, wherein said lower profiledportion further includes through-going portions extending through across sectional width of said lower profiled portion; securing elementsfor securing said lateral flange connection portions to said upperflange connection portions; and fixing rods for securing said lowerprofiled portion to the floor or bottom of the tank, container or pool;a connecting element connecting adjacent ends of the first and secondaeration elements to one another for conducting air fed through thefirst aeration element into the second aeration element; an air supplyconnection connected to said first aeration element at an end oppositeto said adjacent ends of the first and second aeration elements.
 2. Theassembly of claim 1, wherein the attachment portions include athrough-going bore for receiving an attachment bolt for securing thelower profiled portion into the floor or bottom of the tank, containeror pool.
 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the base portion of theassembly bracket includes a substantially U-shaped receiving portion andlateral shoulder portions, wherein said upper profiled portion and saidlower profiled portion are configured so that an inflated membranesleeve about the aeration element, when said aeration element is inplace within said assembly bracket, only makes contact at the shoulderportions.
 4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the upper profiled portionincludes an elongated and substantially arched portion extending betweensaid lateral flange connection members.
 5. The assembly of claim 1,wherein the attachment device comprises a central hole disposed in thelower profiled portion for receiving a central anchor rod for anchoringsaid assembly bracket to the floor.
 6. The assembly of claim 5, whereinthe aeration element is contacted only at the shoulder portions toloosely hold the aeration element within the assembly bracket withoutpinching or restricting the membrane around the aeration element whenthe membrane is in either a deflated or inflated state.
 7. The assemblybracket of claim 1, wherein the upper profiled portion and the lowerprofiled portion include cooperating recessed and undercut portions forproviding said snap-fit connection.
 8. The assembly bracket of claim 1,further comprising a securing screw for securing said upper profiledportion and said lower profiled portion when connected via the snap-fitconnection.